Lexington-class Heavy Carrier
The Lexington-class Heavy Carrier is the the newest and most powerful carrier to have been produced by the Terran Confederation prior to the conclusion of the Kilrathi War in 2669. Origin During the late 2660s, the Terran Confederation was in a dire need for heavy carriers that could match the prowess of the Kilrathi Snakeir and Bhantkara classes. During this period of time, the Kilrathi were in possession of over 20 fleet carriers, compared to a mere 10 for the Confederation. In response to this strategic disadvantage, the Terran Confederation commissioned the construction of a new class of fleet carriers that were designed to be both self-sufficient and comparable to the strength of the superior carriers fielded by the Kilrathi Empire. After the disastrous Battle of Earth in 2668, the purpose of these carriers changed drastically. With the Confederation on the brink of defeat, these new carriers would be responsible for taking the fight directly to the enemy as one of the few capital ship classes capable of leading a Terran offensive against a vastly superior fleet. Furthermore, the lead ship of this class would be assigned to an even greater task: The destruction of Kilrah. Humanity realized that the only way to truly defeat the Empire was to destroy the Kilrathi homeworld, which was home to the Royal Family. Therefore, the first of these Lexington-class Heavy Carriers, named for the TCS Lexington that was nearly destroyed at Earth, would be specially designed to destroy Kilrah in hopes of ending the war once and for all. Design The design of the Lexington-class Carriers were revolutionary at the time. The most striking feature of the Lexingtons were their three hangar bays, something not seen on conventional carriers. Like all other carriers, the Lexingtons poseessed fly-through hangar bays, which often put the ship at risk of launch failures if the hangar bay was hit directly. However, two of its hangar bays were placed on the ship's port and starboard sides on the upper decks, allowing for launches to continue even if the main hangar bay is put out of commission. The lead ship of the class, the T.C.S. Lexington, spawned an entirely different design, as it was built specially to destroy Kilrah. The ship was to be entirely self-sufficient, with the ability to produce its own starfighters and to endure prolonged periods in space without the need for refueling or assistance from other vessels. It would produce its own fuel and the crew specially trained to repair virtually all sorts of damage inflicted on the vessel. It could also be powered by a skeleton crew, reequiring less manpower to function and allowing room for other facilities on the vessel that were required for the goal at hand. Mission to Kilrah In 2669, the first ship of this class, the T.C.S. Lexington, was launched and assigned to the Special Operations Division. The ship was sent to the Goddard Transfer Station in the Goddard System and outfitted with oxygen planetariums, water-producing modules, recycling systems and mining apparatuses. Its journey to Kilrah and back would last approximately six months. On 2669.018, the Lexington was launched with a Special Operations crew of 62 and 18 starfighters. It traveled covertly through Terran and Kilrathi airspace on its long journey to the Kilrah System. The Lexington was encountered by the K.I.S. Shiraak during its journey and the two ships engaged in the Evian, Teragon, and Jakal Systems. Eventually, the Lexington was able to ward off the attackers. Unfortunately, contact with the Lexington was lost during the mission and has not been seen since. It was most likely destroyed, but remains listed as "missing in action". The attempted strike on Kilrah ended in failure. Conventional Service Several more Lexington-class Heavy Carriers were constructed after the loss of the original carrier, but these instead saw service on the frontlines and were never sent to Kilrah. These carriers house a far larger crew and a total of 120 starfighters and shuttles. These carriers are also better armed and are more than capable of facing a Kilrathi task force head-on. However, these vessels, like any other carrier, require escorts to ensure its survival in a firefight. Among the Lexingtons still serving on the frontlines in the War are the TCS Bradshaw, the TCS Lincoln, the TCS Invincible, and the TCS Kennedy. During mid-2669, the TCS Kennedy and her task force responded to Kilrathi activities in the sparsely-populated Oberan System, where the enemy was gaining ground in its invasion of the Terran Confederation's outer territories. The Kennedy relieved a wing of pilots from the T.C.S. Wellington when they found themselves in need of resupply after a skirmish with pirate forces. Given that they were only produced in 2669, it is possible that the Lexingtons remained in service up to 2681 or so. Specifications - (T.C.S. Lexington) Hull Length: 725 meters Mass: 3,250 tons Performance Maximum Velocity: 50 kps Cruise Velocity: 50 kps Acceleration: Poor Maximum Yaw: 1 dps Maximum Pitch: 1 dps Maximum Roll: 1 dps Shields Fore Shield: 120 cm Aft Shield: 120 cm Armor Forward: 90 cm Left: 90 cm Right: 90 cm Rear: 90 cm Armament *10x Flak Cannons Starfighter Complement *18 Starfighters Specifications - Lexington-class Heavy Carrier Hull Length: 925 meters Mass: Unknown Performance Maximum Velocity: 120 kps Cruise Velocity: Unknown Acceleration: Poor Maximum Yaw: 1 dps Maximum Pitch: 1 dps Maximum Roll: 1 dps Shields Fore Shield: 4,000 cm Aft Shield: 4,000 cm Armor Forward: 1,000 cm Left: 1,000 cm Right: 1,000 cm Rear: 1,000 cm Armament *12x Heavy Turrets *3x Missile Turrets Starfighter Complement *100 Starfighters *20 Shuttles Known Ships *TCS Lexington (133B) *TCS Tiger's Claw (SWC) *TCS Exeter (II) Behind the scenes Perhaps technically not fully official designation, although its been nodded to by developers and game designers of Wing Commander Arena in the Star*Soldier notes as a potential fallacy designation. "...the old 'we know one of these is named Lexington, therefor it must be Lexington class!' fallacy" This ship design appears in Super Wing Commander and Wing Commander Armada. In Super Wing Commander its just listed as a Bengal-class Strike Carrier (SWC). External Links *Wing Wing Commander Combat Information Center *Wing Wing Commander Saga Home Website Category:Capital Ships